Today is a gloriously restful long bus ride northward from Antakya (Antioch) to Cappadocia along the Mediterranean, over the Taurus Mountains and through a gorge carved out by the Gokoluk River. Photos taken from the bus include some remnants of earthquake damage, small town street scenes, and the mountain/sea landscape. The Taurus mountain range is vast and extends all the way east to include the Himalayas.
Lunch is in a picturesque location right next to waterfalls on the Seyhan River. You can feel the spray if you’re in the chairs that are a little closer to the falls, and the rushing water is so loud you have to raise your voice to talk to the person next to you. We dine on delicious, delicate trout from the river. Excellently prepared—skin crispy and flesh flaky just like it should be. The Girlfriend does not appreciate the presentation, and reacts to the fish head as though it’s a human skull suddenly popping up in a horror movie.
Then we visit a house where St. Paul was allegedly born, and Leigh does a talk on and blessing. We move on to the 10th century Eski Gumus monastery, which is built around caves and manmade sections that are carved into the soft volcanic rock or “tufa.” John does a blessing in the stone courtyard. There are photos of the frescoes depicting the apostles and biblical scenes.
We arrive at the Alden Hotel just in time to eat a quick buffet dinner, and board buses for Suruhan Caravanserai, a 13th century building that was a rest stop for travelers along the Silk Road, to watch the whirling dervishes do their thing—which we are told is a three-times-a-week genuine spiritual practice, not just a performance for tourists. A sacred silence pervades the space. We meet the dervishes afterwards in the courtyard, along with their cat who had been wandering freely through the dance.
